CHEF DANI GARCIA’S TAKE ON THE CLASSIC CLUB SANDWICH

Chef Dani Garcia surrounded by his collection of recipe books

ANYTHING BUT BORING--British Airway’s excellent inflight magazine, “Club” is a first rate effort proving a marketing oriented publication for a large corporation can be a relevant piece of travel journalism.  Among its wide-ranging travel tips and features is a semi-regular series that publishes Club sandwich recipes from important chefs from around the world. 

This post celebrates a recent club sandwich recipe from contemporary Spanish chef Dani Garcia, who is famed for his avant-garde reimagining of Andalucian flavours. He currently heads up two of his own eateries – Michelin-starred Restaurante Dani Garcia and concept brasserie Bibo – both at the Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella, along Spain’s magnificent south coast. 

“...Funnily enough, I’ve never made a Club Sandwich during my career as a chef. I usually steer away from the classics, preferring instead to work on innovative dishes.

“However, I prepare them quite regularly for my family and eat them myself quite a lot. It’s one of my favorite snacks when I’m travelling, because it’s so familiar. I once stayed in a remote hotel deep in the Austrian mountains where they made the most delicious Club Sandwiches.

“People might say the Club Sandwich is boring but I don’t agree – it’s a classic. The essential ingredients are chicken, bacon, cheese and egg. If I wanted to give it my own spin, I’d add garlic, parsley butter and Parmesan to bring a greater depth of flavor,” concludes Chef Garcia.

Restaurant Dani Garcia at Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella, Spain 

Dani’s flavoursome twist on the Club Sandwich

Ingredients (makes one sandwich)

1 organic chicken breast

25g parsley butter

4 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers

3 slices of good-quality white bread

1-2 tbsp mayonnaise

1-2 cloves of garlic, halved

1 tbsp Parmesan shavings

½ Little Gem lettuce

1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced

Method:

1. Roast the chicken breast in the oven with a good knob of parsley butter for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through. Baste the chicken with the butter and juices halfway through the cooking time.

2. Grill the four bacon rashers and set aside.

3. Toast the three slices of white bread.

4. ‘Butter’ the toast using mayonnaise on one side of the two outer pieces. On the middle slice of toast, rub each side with the cut side of the garlic.

5. Construct the first layer of the sandwich by adding a layer of chicken, Parmesan, lettuce and two slices of beefsteak tomato between two slices of bread, before pressing together.

6. For the second layer of the sandwich, add the bacon, two more slices of tomato and lettuce.

7. Add the final slice of bread and press together.

8. Serve with salty, thin-cut fries and crispy coleslaw.